2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand–
2:2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.
2:3 Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste–nothing escapes them.
2:4 They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry.
2:5 With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
2:6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.
2:7 They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course.
2:8 They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.
2:9 They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.
2:10 Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
2:11 The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
2:12 ‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’
2:13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
2:14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing–grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.
2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.
2:16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.
2:17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?”
2:18 Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people.
2:19 The LORD will reply to them: ‘I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.
2:20 ‘I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the eastern sea and those in the rear into the western sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.’ Surely he has done great things.
2:21 Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things.
2:22 Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
2:23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
2:24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
2:25 ‘I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten–the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm–my great army that I sent among you.
2:26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.
2:27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.
2:28 ‘And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
2:29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
2:30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
2:31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion; / Sound an alarm in My holy mountain; / Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, / For the day of Jehovah comes; / For it draws near:
2:2 A day of darkness and gloominess, / A day of clouds and deep darkness, / Like the dawn spread over the mountains ? / A people great and mighty. / There has not been any like them / Since eternity, / And there will not be any more after them, / Even until the years of the generation of the generations.
2:3 A fire devours before them, / And after them a flame blazes. / Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, / After them, like a desolate wilderness; / And indeed no one escapes them.
2:4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; / And as horsemen, so they run.
2:5 Like the sound of chariots / Upon the mountaintops they leap, / Like the sound of a flame of fire / That devours the stubble, / Like a mighty people / Set in battle array.
2:6 At their presence the peoples writhed in anguish; / All faces became pale.
2:7 They run like mighty men; / Like men of battle they climb the wall. / And they march, each in his ways, / And do not break their ranks.
2:8 Nor do they crowd each other; / They march, each on his highway. / Though they fall among weapons, / They do not break off their progress.
2:9 They rush at the city; / They run against the wall; / They go up into the houses; / In through the windows / They go, like a thief.
2:10 The earth quakes before them; / The heavens shake; / The sun and the moon grow dark, / And the stars withdraw their shining.
2:11 And Jehovah utters His voice / Before His army, / For His camp is very great, / For He who executes His word is mighty. / For the day of Jehovah is great / And very terrible, / And who can endure it?
2:12 Yet even now, / Declares Jehovah, / Turn to Me with all your heart / And with fasting and weeping and mourning;
2:13 And rend your hearts, / And not your garments, / And turn to Jehovah your God, / For He is gracious and compassionate, / Long-suffering and abundant in lovingkindness / And repentant of evil.
2:14 Who knows whether He will turn and repent / And leave a blessing behind Him, / A meal offering and a drink offering / To Jehovah your God?
2:15 Blow a trumpet in Zion; / Sanctify a fast; / Call a solemn assembly;
2:16 Gather the people; / Sanctify the congregation; / Assemble the elders; / Gather the children / And those who suck the breasts; / Let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, / And the bride from her canopy.
2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, / Weep between the porch and the altar, / And let them say, / Look with pity, O Jehovah, upon Your people; / And do not give Your inheritance over to reproach, / That the nations should rule over them. / Why should they say among the peoples, / Where is their God?
2:18 Then Jehovah became jealous for His land, / And He spared His people.
2:19 And Jehovah answered and said to His people, / I am about to send you / The grain and the new wine and the fresh oil, / And you will be satisfied with it; / And I will no longer make you / A reproach among the nations,
2:20 But the northern army / I will remove far from you; / And I will drive it into a land / Barren and desolate, / With its face toward the eastern sea / And its end toward the western sea. / And its stench will go up, / And its foul smell will go up, / For it has done great things.
2:21 Do not fear, O land; / Be glad and rejoice, / For Jehovah has done great things.
2:22 Do not fear, O beasts of the field, / For the pastures of the wilderness turn green. / For the tree bears its fruit; / The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
2:23 O children of Zion, / Be glad and rejoice / In Jehovah your God. / For He gives you / The early rain in righteousness, / And He makes the rain come down for you: / The early rain and the late rain / At the beginning of the season.
2:24 And the threshing floors will be full of grain, / And the wine vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
2:25 And I will restore to you the years / That the swarming locust has eaten, / The licking locust and the consuming locust and the cutting locust, / My great army / That I sent among you.
2:26 And you will eat to the full and be satisfied, / And you will praise the name of Jehovah your God, / Who has dealt wondrously with you; / And My people will never be ashamed.
2:27 And you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, / And that I am Jehovah your God and there is none else. / And My people will never be ashamed.
2:28 And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, / And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; / Your old men shall dream dreams; / Your young men shall see visions.
2:29 Indeed even upon the male and female slaves / In those days I will pour out My Spirit.
2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and on earth: / Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, / And the moon into blood, / Before the great and terrible / Day of Jehovah comes.
2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah shall be saved; / For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem will be an escape, / As Jehovah has said, / Even for the remnant / Whom Jehovah calls.